Members of council will consider changes in the new year in order to improve the efficiency of municipal operations.
“One of our major goals is to address some of the suggestions which came out of the Helios report,” said Mayor Janice Perrino.
The report, completed earlier in 2011, examined the organization of municipal departments and made some suggestions for improvement.
If changes are needed Perrino said they would likely be changes to job descriptions and the organization of staff. She said she does not anticipate cuts to municipal departments.
“We’re looking at some definite changes to improve communications and human resources,” she said.
Other changes could include improvements to the municipality’s website at summerland.ca.
“Every member of council is really keen to get going with this,” Perrino said.
In January, council will meet to discuss a complete list of goals and objectives, in addition to the review of municipal operations.
The new members of council have had some training to introduce them to the roles of various departments and the procedures in place. Additional training will continue.
In addition to concerns about municipal operations, council said the economy remains a priority. While Summerland and the rest of the South Okanagan has been hit hard by the economic slowdown, Perrino said there have also been some positive signs in recent months.
“We’re still the most incredible community in the province if not in all of Canada,” she said.